My thoughts are the cold kind,
I've got storm clouds brewing behind my eyes

Summer. It was not her cup of tea. Too hot, too bright, and if the mild weather of her first Tallsun had been a pain, this year's heat was just about knocking her to her knees. For all that she loved her home - the trees, the mist, the moist ocean breeze - it was definitely not the place to be if you preferred to keep cool. As the temperatures climbed the porcelain filly withdrew into shadows once more, grew nearly nocturnal in an effort to spare herself the pains of sunburn, heat-stroke and the numbing, constantly throbbing pains in a leg that refused to heal. In turn she was probably sparing everyone else the discomfort of her mercurial temper, so overall she thought of it as a win-win situation.

Still. Just disappearing wasn't her favorite way to deal with things, and she did have responsibilities in the herd - unofficial, perhaps, but duties none the less. Expectations to embed into others and live up to, plans to forge, a future to build... Busy busy.

As summer reached its peak, Erthë cruised southward on lazy thermals. High above the ground the temperatures were not nearly as oppressive, and without any clouds to block her vision she was granted an unobstructed view of the landscape below. Mile after mile of rolling hills, woodlands and plains, towering mountains and winding streams that glittered like molten silver in the bright sunlight. It was beautiful, breathtaking - but the drought was also made painfully obvious from this altitude. The verdure was faded and dusty, the grass yellow and parched and the serpentine path of the Thistle River was marked not so much by the muddy banks laid bare by low water as by the belt of healthier greens that flanked it. The stench of smoke and fire still clung to her after passing over the Hidden Falls, an acrid burn at the back of the throat that brought to mind memories of loss, pain and worry. She was of half a mind to go back there when she had made sure everyone at home were alright - she had friends in the Falls, people she cared about just as much as her own family.

Something on the ground caught her eye. A gathering, by the looks of it. Not entirely in the mood for socializing, curiosity was nevertheless the bane of her existence. Telling herself that it would only be a quick peek, that she wasn't going to stick around and delay herself, she angled the wings and began the descent, drawing wide circles of shadow over the crowd. Familiar faces came into focus once she was close enough to make out shape and color; faces of family, of herd, of friends; but also of strangers, and by the Gods it was hot! As was her habit, Erthë reached out for the moisture in the air to freeze it, attempted to envelop herself in a cooling mist and spare herself the merciless beating of burning rays. But there was hardly anything there to work her magic on, and what little ice she managed to produce hung like a faint shimmer in the air around her - only to vaporize, as though it had never been there at all.

Remaining in the air, circling slowly over the ground the filly peered down to see what the fuss was about. A brow rose as she spotted a couple of colored... somethings flitting about over the surface of the water, tittering and playing as though the world had not suddenly turned into one giant sauna. It was cute alright, quaint and lovely but why were all these people standing around, staring at them? One face in particular was unexpected in this kind of company. Alysanne was one thing, but since when did Volterra stick around for shows like these?

It made very little sense in her mind, and it fueled her intrigue enough to stick around for at least a few moments longer, despite the growing urge to do something reckless. Like diving headlong into the river, or maybe evaporating along with the remaining water.

Erthë

And my heart will be blacker than your eyes
when I'm through with you